A thorough inventory of upscale medical equipment in federal teaching hospitals and medical facilities has been initiated by the federal government.

In light of worries about inadequate maintenance of medical equipment in public hospitals, the exercise focuses on maintenance status and capacity shortages.

The larger Health Sector Renewal Investment Initiative includes the National Biomedical Equipment Audit. The goal of this effort is to improve personnel capability, digitisation, and infrastructure for sustainable healthcare delivery.

This was revealed in Abuja by Dr. Adekunle Salako, Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, during a session aimed at enhancing the skills of biomedical engineers working in Nigerian healthcare facilities. He stated that the government is committed to creating a robust, technologically advanced, and well-maintained health system that ensures Nigerians receive safe, efficient, and long-lasting services.

Salako pointed out that hospitals' maintenance cultures have been undermined by the lack of organised capacity-building initiatives and long-term collaborations. This has caused expensive equipment across the country to deteriorate quickly and experience extended downtime.

He stressed the need of biomedical engineers and technicians in maintaining the best possible performance of devices used for patient monitoring, diagnosis, and treatment.

According to him, the importance of their role became more evident during and after the COVID-19 pandemic. Even advanced machines remained underutilised or dysfunctional without skilled technical support.

The minister said the workshop was designed to reawaken the professional consciousness of biomedical engineers, refresh their technical skills and reposition them to safeguard Nigeria’s expanding health assets.

He disclosed that the ministry, through its Department of Hospital Services, is developing a National Biomedical Equipment Maintenance Framework. This framework will ensure tertiary health institutions adopt planned preventive maintenance schedules implemented by trained engineers.

Salako, who was represented by his Special Assistant, Dr Babatunde Akinyemi, said the workshop was enabled by the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare. It was coordinated by Healthy Living Communications Limited in partnership with the College of Biomedical Engineering and Technology (CBET).

The event brought together biomedical engineers and technical personnel from federal, state and private health institutions across the country.

He added that the ministry has upgraded training facilities in relevant institutions with modern equipment, simulation laboratories and digital learning tools. It has also facilitated staff retraining and exchange programmes to promote global exposure and skills transfer.

The minister urged Chief Medical Directors, Medical Directors and Heads of Biomedical Engineering Units to ensure that knowledge gained at the workshop is cascaded to other technical staff within their institutions.

He linked the training to the ministry’s four-point agenda, particularly the objective of unlocking the health value chain through medical industrialisation. Improved local technical capacity would reduce frequent importation of medical devices and extend the lifespan of existing equipment.

In his remarks, Emmanuel Oriakhi, National Project Director and Chief Executive Officer of Healthy Living Communications Limited, stated that the program was conceptualised over a decade ago. He stated that, while the Federal Government has made significant expenditures in healthcare infrastructure as part of the Renewed Hope Agenda, preserving such investments required purposeful maintenance and professional development.

Oriakhi thanked the ministry for its assistance and praised the efforts of previous and current Directors of Hospital Services in assisting the project.

Dr. Awafung Adie, Chief Trainer, encouraged participants to see themselves as more than just equipment repairers and to embrace their broader roles as healthcare technology managers, innovators, and leaders.

"The quality of biomedical engineers produced now will have an impact on Nigeria's healthcare system in the future. "We must maintain professionalism, integrity, teamwork, and accountability in everything we do," he stated.

He encouraged participants to leave the program with not only certificates, but also with greater technical skills, improved professional attitudes, and a revitalised dedication to service.

Also speaking, Prof. Saad Ahmed, Chairman of the Committee of Chief Medical Directors and Medical Directors of Federal Tertiary Hospitals, was represented by Dr Yahaya Adamu, Chief Medical Director of the Federal Medical Centre in Keffi, who expressed confidence that the training would improve engineers' capabilities. It would help to reduce equipment downtime and ensure safe handling of medical devices in accordance with regulatory and manufacturer norms.